Carbon was first invented near Cliveland, Ohio in 1958, but this process was inefficient as only 20% of the final fiber was carbon. Later another process using PAN as precursor was developed, with a resulting fiber of 55% carbon. But with the advent of a new manufacturing process in 1963, developed at a UK research center, carbon fiber’s high potential strength was realized, and the carbon manufacturing industry began to grow. In the 1970s research on alternative raw materials led to carbon fibers containing 85% of carbon, this time made from pitch.
Modern carbon fiber content is above 90% and is approaching 100%. The leading companies that make the highest qualities in our days are from Japan, and have many carbon yarn manufacturing sites around the world. In the early years, carbon composites have been very expensive, so were rarely used, and most exclusively for aerospace applications. However, as time passed, carbon fiber became affordable for more applications, manufacturing techniques have improved, and all this resulted in increased (and growing) consumption.